USGS Gulf of Mexico Science

The overarching goal of USGS Gulf Coast science is to provide scientific information, knowledge, and tools to local, State, and Federal agencies so that constructive decisions about land resource use, management practices, and future development in the coastal zone and adjacent watersheds can be made. Those decisions can promote restoration, increase coastal resilience, and mitigate risks associated with both human-induced and natural hazards.

Estuaries are a critical interface between terrestrial and marine ecosystems. Gulf of Mexico estuaries encompass approximately 30,000 sq. km. (42% of the total estuarine surface area of the U.S. excluding Alaska). The key to understanding complex estuarine systems lies in understanding the interactions between geological framework and biological, geochemical and hydrological processes. This site brings together data for assessing and monitoring Gulf of Mexico estuaries.

Regional scale interdisciplinary investigations of the geological - geomorphological - biophysical structure, physical and ecological processes, and spatial patterns of social vulnerability in response to storm hazards of the northern Gulf of Mexico landscape are a high national priority following the devastating hurricanes of 2005. USGS scientists seek to understand the evolution of coastal ecosystems on the northern Gulf Coast, the impact of human activities on these ecosystems, and the vulnerability of ecosystems and human communities to more frequent and more intense hurricanes in the future.

The Gulf of Mexico Internet Map Server (IMS) provides users with online mapping capability and access to published data sets. The IMS offers tools for viewing, navigating, and limited querying of spatial and attribute data. Many of these sites include data catalogs listing the details of the available data along with metadata and links to download desired data sets. Additional links to project specific information may also be found. Data have been compiled from a variety of sources and most of the data are currently available online for user access and downloads. Note: The IMS is very data intensive. Initial connection with a map view will require large graphic, text files and JavaScript files to be downloaded.

USGS studies in the Gulf of Mexico provide scientific information to support management actions intended to reduce excess nutrients in the Mississippi River Basin and hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico. Hypoxia can cause fish to leave the area and can cause stress or death to bottom dwelling organisms that canít move out of the hypoxic zone. Hypoxia is believed to be caused primarily by excess nutrients delivered from the Mississippi River in combination with seasonal stratification of Gulf waters. Excess nutrients promote algal and attendant zooplankton growth. The size of the hypoxic zone and other information about dissolved oxygen levels in the northern Gulf of Mexico are measured each summer.

The Gulf of Mexico Alliance is a partnership of the States of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. It is supported by 13 Federal agencies, including the Department of Interior. The USGS is committed to mapping, monitoring, and conducting research in the Gulf of Mexico and adjacent watersheds. Through a network of science centers in the five Gulf States and across the Nation, the USGS applies its biologic, geologic, geographic, and hydrologic expertise to provide unbiased scientific findings to decision makers.